Sarah Jessica Parker covers the December issue of Vogue (US) to promote the Sex and the City revival, …And Just Like That. Little bit surprised that the cover wasn’t done with SJP, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, but SJP always liked to remind everyone that she was and is still the alpha of the show in every way. Of course she wouldn’t want to include Nixon and Davis, anymore than she’d want to include the women of color who joined the show as characters and writers. This is, after all, the SJP Show. The Vogue piece is okay – I was actually kind of grateful that it wasn’t some twenty-page diatribe about how and why this series is super-relevant today and including every detail about Sarah Jessica’s life these days. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
On Kim Cattrall’s absence: “We have some new people, and we have some people who aren’t back anymore.”
How busy she is on all of her projects: “How can I even complain when I know what’s going on in this country, and how it’s failed working parents? I don’t have any tips and tricks, except that I’m incredibly fortunate that I have childcare and a partner, because so many mothers who work two and three jobs do not.”
She kept all of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in storage: “I had all of the original stuff in my own storage. Furniture, clothes, everything, packed according to season and episode and scene. I kept every single solitary thing.”
Why is the show featuring Carrie’s old place? “One of the questions that’s going to come up in And Just Like That… will be, What is it about a place like this that you need to hold on to for all these years? Why can’t you just let it go?”
On the newly diverse cast & writers room: “In no way were we interested in tokenism. You can’t bring people on the show and not let the camera be with them! These characters are all gifts to us.”
On ageism & representing women in their 50s with sex lives & romance. “There’s so much misogynist chatter in response to us that would never. Happen. About. A. Man. ‘Gray hair gray hair gray hair. Does she have gray hair?’ I’m sitting with Andy Cohen and he has a full head of gray hair, and he’s exquisite. Why is it okay for him? I don’t know what to tell you people! Especially on social media. Everyone has something to say. ‘She has too many wrinkles, she doesn’t have enough wrinkles.’ It almost feels as if people don’t want us to be perfectly okay with where we are, as if they almost enjoy us being pained by who we are today, whether we choose to age naturally and not look perfect, or whether you do something if that makes you feel better. I know what I look like. I have no choice. What am I going to do about it? Stop aging? Disappear?”
Well, honestly, a lot of people DO want women older than 40 to “disappear.” That’s the way advertising, the fashion industry, the beauty industry and the entertainment industry treats middle-aged and older women: like they’re invisible. That’s why I narrowly support the idea of this series and seeing how friendships develop and all of that. But that’s the thing… I feel like this is so far from truly representative. That’s the problem when there are so few stories about female friendships and sex/romance for women in their 50s: the few stories that are out there can’t be all things to all people. And I know this series is going to be so stupid and superficial, my God.
Cover & IGs courtesy of Vogue.
I was prepared to be really annoyed, but “misogynistic” is a reasonable description of chatter about whether actors in their 50s have grey hair. It’s also a reasonable description of a lot of SATC, along with racist, classist, and clueless, but Parker danced around that nicely.
I suspect the show’s legacy would have been a lot better if they hadn’t made all these movies. I enjoyed it at the time, but it’s aged terribly, and bringing us back into that world every so often just highlights that.
She wanted to get that tokenism point out of the way quickly. Granted it hasnt aired yet,but thats all it really looks like, after 6 seasons and two movies suddeny they are hanging out with black and brown women!! I personally never had a problem with certain shows having mostly white cast or POC because that is the reality of life. We all gravitate to people that are simillar to ourselves in one way or another.
Props to her for recognizing how fortunate and privileged she is when it comes to being a working parent.
Beautiful gown on the cover.
Agreed on the above comment on how the movies ruined the legacy of SATC. Maybe the reaction to the reboot wouldn’t be so meh if they hadn’t made those.
She’s tiny, so either she’s standing on stilts to be photographed in that dress or those are some nose bleed high heel shoes she’s wearing.
Doesn’t it really just boil down to a Carrie Bradshaw OD? It’s too much Carrie; not even about SJP. I think it’s safe to say that the only one so invested in CB’s fictional life is SJP.
The show is asking why CB can’t let go of her apartment, I have the same questions for SJP’s storage facility.
Yeah, I thought that was a little…..odd.
It’s not misogynistic to be tired of Carrie. SJP thinks she’s owed praise for beating that long-dead horse.
@ minx, in addition to her need to keep revisiting SATC. Just because YOU think it’s a good idea to keep beating this poor long dead horse doesn’t mean that it needs to be replayed over and over! SATC was fine to stay were it was when the series ended. Give it up SJP!!! Move on…..
Granted Hollywood needs more movies of women in their 50’s+ making movies but that SATC doesn’t need to answer it’s call.
I think thats two different issues, if SJP was in anything right now with grey hair i think this would be the response unless she was leaning into the old lady trope and playing an older character than she really is? Then people would be happy because shed be ‘invisible’ IMO
Her clinging to this series is another topic worthy is criticism and i agree its all about SJP so she attacked the more popular character Samantha
Honestly… I would have prefered if Samantha was there and Carrie was gone.
She is the character that gets into a cab and says ‘Take Me Home…I am going Home’.. as if she is the centre of the universe
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!! I agree.
And then it turns into the end of ‘Rocky Horror,’ where the cab is a spaceship and Carrie was an alien whose mission was to explore the sexual habits of human males.
Yesssssss!
I for one am excited for this show! I grew up on SATC as I was in college/grad school when it aired. Good for SJP for speaking out about the criticism she has endured on aging – as a forty-something woman, we need more women in their 50s and beyond whose stories are told in TV/movies. No, we don’t have to just disappear after 40!
And maybe we need a little silly and materialistic – just something light and fun. I am a die hard Democrat, but everything does not need to be so heavy these days. We need a little levity and fun. Every single movie, piece of art, show, etc. does not need to address the huge issues in our society. Every day on the news it is something more sad and heavy than the day before – i.e. the Christmas parade attack, the Rittenhouse verdict. It makes people weary. I make it a point not to watch the news these days, for my mental health. I need some escapism!
I agree Emily! When I watched SATC, I was the same age as Carrie on the show. I was single with a close group of 3 girlfriends. I’d watch SATC religiously every Sunday. I don’t think the old SATC has aged particularly well – the “man crazy” aspect of it, especially. BUT…that was my mindset back when I watched the show. I WAS “man crazy” – always dealing with relationship drama, so it was nice to have the show to kind of relate to in that regard. And also, it was sex and escapism.
I’m now 49 and dealing with the issues SJP describes here. Too many wrinkles or not enough? Oh god, what will people think if I let my gray hairs show? Am I supposed to be invisible to men now? I’m looking forward to the show addressing those issues (though Samantha’s character did on SATC, I was too young and dumb to really realize or understand it at the time).
I’m also looking forward to some escapism. Give me some outlandish plots in fabulous-to-OH-GOD-what-is-she-wearing?! clothes. So yeah, I’m pretty jazzed about the show. (btw – watched the first SATC movie and didn’t hate it; didn’t even try to watch the second one after I read about the plot. Hopefully the new series has the quality of the SATC tv show and NOT the movies.)
I agree, some light hearted fun, I’m sure they will touch on some realistic stuff that women go thru.
I used to love the show and was gifted all of the seasons on blue ray from my bestie who hated the show, LOL! I will tune in.
I was way too young for SATC when it premiered, but I did watch it when I got to college and I loathed it with a burning passion. 1) the sex talk never really resonated with me because I felt like it was a certain type of gay man’s idea of how women talk to each other. 2) It is SUCH a 90s conspicuous consumptIon show and I came of age during the ‘08 financial crisis. It made me physically angry when Carrie started bitching about her financial situation like she hadn’t had plenty of time and some very real opportunities to save up.
For the major problem is that the tenor of the show is outdated and SJP simply will not let it go. I realize I’m not the target audience for this show and those who like it are perfectly valid in doing so. But I don’t think any of these movies have a shot at being good when they try to return to a glory era that’s is extremely dead and gone.
Didn’t they specify in that horrid 2nd movie why she kept her apartment.
Did SJP forget too?
I really really wish that the 2021 SATC were a reboot featuring characters in their late 20s or early 30s: one white cis het woman character, a Black trans woman, a cis gay Asian woman, and a cis het Latina. With all of them financially struggling and on the come-up, and finding creative ways to get a hold of glamorous fashion. It would be cool if there were stylistic themes, like the voice-over narration and camera work and colors, and some plot themes that echoed in the new version. Imo, basically an entirely new conceptualization of the universe, with lots of nods and homages to the original, was the way to go. The original cast members could also have done cameos or been supporting characters. Maybe it would have smacked of “age-ism” but I would rather see a whole new series about cool rich high-fashion women in their 50s and 60s (and fwiw I do not think this SATC will be “cool” in any way).
I could see that. Maybe someone is an associate at Miranda’s law firm, one is a new college graduate and working their way up in literary circles, and is on the bottom of the totem pole at Vogue, but Carrie notices them. There’s definitely a need for stories for older women, but it doesn’t have to be attached to a previous series. If the writing was good, I can’t see why someone wouldn’t tune in for a show with SJP, and KD, and CN. I mean people watched Betty White and Rue McClanahan in a new series no issue.
I could definitely get down with this.
Only, make sure the late 20’s early 30’s characters have realistic jobs. I hate when there is like a 25 yr old with a bad @ss home and killer job bc that is just not real life.
Yes, there needs to be scripts for middle-aged women. But rebooting Sex In The City isn’t it. Or Friends. Or Seinfeld. Or Roseanne. Enough already. Too much has happened in our culture over the years and a continuation of 80s and 90s comic relief doesn’t fit. And we shouldn’t have to scream that to be heard. Common sense people.